National Dress In European Countries

Spain
From the sixteenth century, Spain has been widely known for fashion. Traditional Spanish clothing is known for elegance and elaborate decoration. The fabrics used to make the traditional clothing are heavy and rich. Gold and silver threads along with jewels and pearls were used as decorations on the clothing. Bell-shaped clothing, such as capes and corsets, originated in Spain.
Many Spanish citizens still dress in the Spanish traditional clothing for bullfights and festivals. Bullfighters still wear the decorated cloak, or the cape de passeo, for the ceremonial entry into the ring to fight.
Bull Fighter
Bull Fighter

The most widely known styles of traditional Spanish clothing are the Mantilla, the Peineta, and the Gilet.

  • The Mantilla is a silk, often lace scarf that is worn around the head and shoulders of Spanish women. The mantilla is like a veil, and is worn during religious ceremonies. It is wrapped around a high comb in a woman's hair, and held in place by pins.
  • The Peineta was orginated centuries ago as a high comb to hold up the popular mantilla. The decorative, usually tortoiseshell color Peineta is used to combine the mantilla with its prongs and curvy body to keep the fashionable veil in place.
  • The Gilet is a sleeveless jacket, similar to a waistcoat or a blouse, which is worn by a man. The straightsided Gilet is fitted and embroidered, and can be either knee or waist length. Spanish Bull Fighter

Spain kept the same fashions in style for years even though they were outdated, which was the main reason for Spain handing the title of Center of European fashion over to countries like France and Italy.

Mantilla
Mantilla

Peineta
Peineta

Spanish skirt
Spanish skirt






Germany
Centuries ago, German clothing was a way to identify people as belonging to a certain social or economic class. A 'tracht' was a way to tell a person's marital status, origin, or trade. The term is used today to describe an item of clothing that suggests to the attire of a rural community. The national attire for women is a long, close-fitting dress combined with an apron called the 'dirndl'. Some are sleeveless and worn with a lace blouse, while others have sleeves and high necklines. Dirndls are made in bright and dark colors. The dress usually consists of many different colors, along with many decorations. Hats were an elaborate and expensive item that varied in decoration according to the occasion and region of German speaking areas. The 'Goldhaben' from upper Austria, and the 'Bollenhut' from the Black Forest region in Germany, are only worn for festive events. The tracht is always made in the same simple design, which is now rarely seen unless during festivals or in museums. Dirndls are commonly worn as a symbol of German culture. The national dress for German men consists of a knee-length trouser called the 'Lederhosen'. The short-pants are made from leather, wool and linen. The 'Lederhosen' is worn with rustic shoes and pulled up wool socks. Like women, hats and jackets vary in price and decoration according to region and social class. Owning a pair of Lederhosen is a tradition for German, Austrian, Swiss, and Bavarian descendents throughout the world. Men wearing the traditional Lederhosen are seen to others as belonging to the 'Alpine Tribe'. The Tacht, Dirndl, and Lederhosen are commonly worn during large festivals, such as Oktoberfest, to celebrate the culture and heritage of Germany.

Lederhosen
Lederhosen

Dirndl
Dirndl





Scotland
Traditional Scottish dress revolves around the patterened tartans belonging to the many different Scottish clans (family groupings). Men wear a traditional kilt in the fabric design of their clan's tartan. A kilt is a wool, knee-length cloth worn around the waist, which is open at the bottom.It is distinguished from the female skirt by the length (7 to 8 yards), the weight of the fabric, and the number of pleats. Some believe that wearing a kilt that is not in the design of your tartan is bad luck. The kilt is worn with a shirt, waistcoast, tweed jacket, brogue shoes, a sporran, and stockings with garter flashes. A sporran is a pouch which is hung from the belt in front of the kilt. Older sporrans were simple leather pouchs used solely for the purpose of carrying little items. Today, they are highly decorated with silver rims and horsehair or fur. Bonnets showing the clan crest are sometimes worn. Scottish women wear long dresses or pleated skirts in their clan's tartan instead of the kilt. Simple, single-colored dresses are more commonly worn. They are accesorized with long shawls made of the tartan material.
Kilt
Kilt

Sporran
Sporran

Scottish lady
Scottish lady




Ireland
With the revival of the popular Irish dance, traditional Irish clothing is seen as bright, colorful, sometimes glittery costumes. However, these are only worn by the Irish dancers. Traditionaly, Irish dress was simple 'leine' (shirts) and 'trews' (pants). Long cloaks fastened with brooches were commonly worn over the leine and trews. Women wore long, simple dresses in mdest colors. The plaid Irish tartan, much similar to the Scottish kilt, is also seen as a symbol of Irish dress. With the help of the ever popular St. Patrick's Day, the color green and funny Leperchon hats are seen to other countries as 'traditional' Irish dress. The flamboyant costumes and fun holidays have taken over the title of traditional Irish dress, but the real national dress of Ireland is simple and modest.
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traditional Irish dress
traditional Irish dress

irish dancer's costume
irish dancer's costume



France
The national dress of France, along with many of its colonies, is based around French fashions in the Colonial era. Womens fashion from that time consisted of a petticoat, a Dwiyet, a Foulard, and the Tete Case. A Dwiyet is a long dress with narrow sleeves that reach the wrists. A Foulard is a satin scarf that drapes around the neck and shoulders and attaches to the Dwiyet in the front with a brooch. The color of the Foulard usually contrasts with the color of the Dwiyet. The Tete Case is a head peice that is designed and decorated to the taste of the owner. The traditional dress in France is very elegant and expensive.


Dwiyet
Dwiyet



England
England, unlike the other countries in the United Kingdom, does not have a national dress. The nearest thing to England's national dress is the costume of the Beefeaters, or the men who look after the queen. An interesting fact about English dress is where the names for the cardigan and the balaclava came from. The Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava was lead by Lord Cardigan. A "Balaclava" is now a wool hat, and a "cardigan" is now a short wool coat with buttons. Even though England does not have a national dress, traditional English dress is remembered by others as the costumes of the Beefeaters, of the silent Foot Guards.

Beefeater
Beefeater

Foot Guard
Foot Guard






Sources:
www.learnenglish.de
www.celticmoonrenaisancewear.com
http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/clothesculture.htm
http://www.enzian.ca/History.htm
http://www.ipc.lt/wg/php/wg.php?zs=8&zn=34
http://www.stlucia.gov.lc/stluciasilver/national_dress.htm
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/costume.html
http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa073100a.htm
http://www.encyclocentral.com/20692-Lederhosen_German_Traditional_Dress_Leather_Trousers.html

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